1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an optical connector.
2. Related Art
Mechanical optical fiber connectors for the telecommunications industry are known. For example, LC, ST, FC, and SC optical connectors are widely used.
ST (straight tip) connectors were developed by AT&T for fiber network implementations. These connectors have a bayonet-style mechanism that allows for connection/disconnection to a coupling or receptacle with a twist-on/twist-off motion.
Many ST connectors were made by inserting a bare fiber into a hollow ferrule and bonding the fiber into the ferrule with, typically, an epoxy-based adhesive.
Also known are hybrid optical splice connectors, as described in JP Patent No. 3445479, JP Application No. 2004-210251 (WO 2006/019516) and JP Application No. 2004-210357 (WO 2006/019515). However, these hybrid splice connectors are not compatible with standard connector formats and require significant piecewise assembly of the connector in the field. The handling and orientation of multiple small pieces of the connector can result in incorrect connector assembly that may either result in decreased performance or increase the chance of damaging the fiber.
More recently, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,369,738 and 8,070,367 describe optical fiber connectors that include a pre-polished fiber stub disposed in the ferrule that is spliced to a field fiber with a mechanical splice.